The National General Aviation Awards (GAAwds) Committee takes great pride in announcing this year’s regional General Aviation Awards winners. They are all finalists for the national awards. The mission of the General Aviation Awards program is to recognize individual aviation professionals on the local, regional, and national levels for their contributions to aviation, education, and flight safety. The national judging is currently underway and national winners will be announced not later than March 1st.
The GA Awards program is a cooperative effort between more than 18 general aviation industry sponsors and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Nominations for 2014 will be accepted beginning in August. “Everyone knows a worthy aviation professional. I encourage you to submit a nomination for your favorite flight instructor, maintenance technician, or FAASTeam representative,” urged John Teipen, GAAwds co-chair.
"These awards highlight the important role played by these individuals in promoting aviation education and flight safety," said JoAnn Hill, GAAwds Committee co- chair. "The awards program sponsors and supporters are pleased that these outstanding aviation professionals are receiving the recognition they so richly deserve."
This year’s regional winners are:
2013 Regional Aviation Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) of the Year
Scott Eric Austin of Lawrence, Michigan represents the Grand Rapids FSDO and the Great Lakes Region. Scott is the director of maintenance for Western Michigan University. He supervises and trains a staff of 11 full time and five part time technicians. [email protected]
Bruce Albert Berry of Blytheville, Arkansas represents the Little Rock FSDO and the Southwestern Region. Bruce is vice president of Flight Structures at Aviation Repair Technologies. He is a certified Composite Trainer and trains the trainers. [email protected]
William Thomas “Bill” Fifles of Honolulu, Hawaii represents the Honolulu FSDO and the Western Pacific Region. Bill is director of maintenance at Kamaka Air, Inc. He enjoys mentoring youth and young technicians. [email protected]
Kenneth Lee “Ken” Gilliland of Clanton, Alabama represents the Birmingham FSDO and the Southern Region. Ken is chief of maintenance at B & G Flying Service, Inc. He also developed the maintenance program for the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office. [email protected]
Leroy Alan Muise of Trenton, Maine represents the Portland FSDO and the Eastern Region. Leroy is general manger for Columbia Air at Bar Harbor Airport. He is committed to good customer service and competent maintenance. [email protected]
Bret Samuel Proud of Englewood, Colorado represents the Denver FSDO and the Northwest Mountain Region. Bret is an AMT and DME at Redstone College. He instructs and mentors students in the AMT Society Maintenance Skill Competition and is a FAASTeam representative. [email protected]
2013 Regional Avionics Technicians of the Year
Bruce Allan Lundquist of Willis, Michigan represents the East Michigan (Detroit) FSDO and the Great Lakes Region. Pentastar Aviation at the Oakland Pontiac Airport employs Bruce. He has been the lead technician and supervisor for more than 30 years. [email protected]
2013 Regional Certificated Flight Instructors (CFIs) of the Year
Timothy John “Tim” Brill, a 2-time Master CFI-Aerobatic of Reno, Nevada represents the Reno FSDO and the Western Pacific Region. Tim is the owner / chief instructor of Aerobatic Company and Flight School, Inc. He specializes in emergency maneuver training. [email protected]
George Patrick “Pat” Brown III of Houston, Texas represents the Houston FSDO and the Southwestern Region. Pat is owner/chief instructor for Houston Light Sport Aviation and a lecturer for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). [email protected]
Luke Andrew Collison of Arvada, Colorado represents the Denver FSDO and the Northwest Mountain Region. Luke is general manager/co-owner and assistant chief instructor of McAir, Inc. [email protected]
Peter Gerard “Pete” Demers of Jupiter, Florida represents the South Florida FSDO and the Southern Region. Pete is chief flight instructor at North County Flight Training, LLC a Part 141 and Part 61 flight school. [email protected]
Dean Wesley Eichholz of Soldotna, Alaska represents the Anchorage FSDO and the Alaskan Region. Dean is an independent flight instructor and Designated Pilot Examiner as well as a broker for Falcon Insurance Agency of Alaska, Inc. [email protected]
Lee Stanley Jones of Kearneysville, West Virginia represents the Baltimore FSDO and the Eastern Region. Lee is chief flight instructor for Aero-Smith, Inc. a Part 141 flight school and participates in numerous youth/aviation activities. [email protected]
Linda Hert Langrill, a 2-time Master CFI of Midland, Michigan represents the Grand Rapids FSDO and the Great Lakes Region. Linda is a flight instructor for Acker Aviation in Clare, MI. She participates in several youth aviation activities. [email protected]
2013 Regional FAASTeam Representatives of the Year
Gary Michael Brossett, a 2-time Master Aviation Educator of Midland, Georgia represented the Atlanta FSDO and the Southern Region. Gary is a certified trainer for Pratt & Whitney. He has arranged, hosted, and/or presented more than half of all safety and WINGS programs in the state for the past three years. [email protected]
Walter Penn Hunnicutt of Bella Vista, Arkansas represented the Little Rock FSDO and the Southwestern Region. Walter works fulltime for Air Resource Group and has developed safety programs for Arkansas pilots that combine operations and airworthiness topics. [email protected]
Mark Edward Madden, a 3-time Master CFI of Anchorage, Alaska represented the Anchorage FSDO and the Alaska Region. Mark is a professor of aviation technology at the University of Alaska. He is a leading safety educator in the local FAASTeam, the university, and the Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation. [email protected]
Dean Christopher Marshall of East Setauket, New York represented the Farmingdale FSDO and the Eastern Region. He is a flight instructor at Mid-Island Flight School and avidly supports the FAASTeam teaching seminars, planning events and earning the Master WINGS. [email protected]
Lynwood Karl “Woody” Minar, a 4-time Master CFI of Dresser, Wisconsin represented the Minneapolis FSDO and the Great Lakes Region. Woody is chief instructor at Osceola Aero Sport. He enthusiastically preaches safety while acting as CFI, DPE, Lead Rep, airport manager, and flying club board member. [email protected]
William Edwin “Bill” Standefer of Fort Collins, Colorado represented the Denver FSDO and the Northwest Mountain Region. Bill promotes safety in the FAAST/ CFI seminars as a Lead Rep, as a major in the Civil Air Patrol, and as Chairman of the Mountain Flying Training program for the Colorado Pilots Association. [email protected]
Arlene Virginia Steier of Omaha, Nebraska represented the Lincoln FSDO and the Central Region. Arlene spreads the mission of the FAASTeam to flight students, university students, and K-12 teachers in Nebraska and Iowa. [email protected]
Financial sponsorship, gift donations, and support for the General Aviation Awards program is provided by Women in Aviation International (WAI), Snap-On Tools (Snap-On), Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky), The Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE), Ninety-Nines International (The 99s), the National Business Aviation Ass'n (NBAA), the National Ass'n of State Aviation Officials (NASAO), National Aviation Safety Foundation (NASF), the National Air Transportation Ass'n (NATA), Rod Machado, King Schools (King), Jeppesen – A Boeing Company (Jeppesen), Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (Gulfstream), Gleim Publications (Gleim), the General Aviation Manufacturers Ass'n (GAMA), Garmin International (Garmin), FAASTeam Associates LLC (FAASTeam), the Flight School Ass’n of North America (FSANA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Duncan Aviation (Duncan), David Clark Company, Cessna Aircraft Corporation (Cessna), Bose Corporation (Bose), the Aircraft Maintenance Technology Society (AMT Society), the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Ass'n (AOPA), the Aeronautical Repair Station Ass'n (ARSA), Aviation Supplies & Academics (ASA), “Anonymous,” and especially the Experimental Aircraft Ass'n (EAA).
Additional support is being provided by Advocates for Aviation Safety Foundation (AASF), FAASTeam Associates LLC, Glenna Blackwell Photography, John Teipen, Master Instructors LLC (MI LLC), Rich Stowell Consulting (RichStowell.com), and GAAwds web mistress Jenny Furst of Virtual Accounting Services.
For additional GA Awards program info, call 303-485-8136 & visit http://www.GeneralAviationAwards.org/
